


Ishtar

by aereandria



Series: Snaps of Inspiration (that are unfortunately not related to my current works) [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dimension Travel, F/F, F/M, Ishtar's origin story is mine, M/M, Manipulative Nick Fury, Natasha Romanov Has Issues, Powerful being, World Hopping, ill tag more later, references to mutants
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23830963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aereandria/pseuds/aereandria
Summary: A powerful being made from the accidental amalgamation of an Omega level mutant and an alien have been travelling dimensions and worlds, observing and meddling as they like. They watch once more as the Avengers in this world assemble and wonder if they should intervene or not?
Series: Snaps of Inspiration (that are unfortunately not related to my current works) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1714474
Kudos: 6





	1. The Worst of the Worst

When Loki came through the portal and then sped away with one of the foremost astrophysicists and a deadly former assassin now turned SHIELD agent under some kind of mind control spell, all while collapsing the PEGASUS project on his way out Fury knew the time had come. The time he had both prepared and feared for, hoping that it would never be necessary but knew in his spy goonies it probably would be.

He gave the nod to Coulson to pull the Widow out of deep cover in Russia knowing she would do anything to get Barton back. Coulson gave him the chilliest stare when he asked him to bring Stark in, he matched it inwardly smirking. Being the boss meant he didn’t have to deal with smart arses like Stark or wild cards like Banner. Half-listening in as Coulson gave the Widow her mission to bring the ‘the Big Guy’ in and the subsequent Russian swear.

No being the boss meant he had to go recruit the worst of the worst. The most dangerous of all the individuals he had tagged for something like this. He almost whimpered and asked Coulson to swap, because hell he would take Stark’s bratty personality over this next visit any day. But a visit from anyone but him would be seen as an insult. And god forbid they insult this one.

* * *

_Earth, Avengers Dimension, 1989, World 257_

_Overview: Junior SHIELD Agent Fury, Nicholas J investigates an anomaly marked by SHIELD code #389. _

_Mission: Investigate anomaly and contain if necessary. Feed back any relevant information. _

Agent Fury had only been an official SHIELD field Agent for over a year now. He had worked himself to the bone to get the necessary commendations that allowed him out and about by himself. Unlike other covert agencies partners weren’t not necessary depending on the code and mission in SHIELD. This may seem irresponsible but in order to maintain its secrecy and covert status SHIELD found it useful to not use the traditional model. Two agents in black suits from an unknown agency is harder to forget then one in plain clothes. One person can more easily blend in and disappear than two. Plus SHIELD required higher results and more mandatory training than any other covert agency so one agent was practically equal to two any way.

Despite the glamorous accolades that came with field agent and solo status sign off, it was a lot of loose ends. Drudge work to be exact. Things that needed to be followed up by an actual person but the higher ups didn’t want to waste too much manpower on what was likely to be a dead end. But bureaucracy demanded they dot all their i’s and cross all their t's. That was why Nick was in middle of the Sahara in the ass end of nowhere dying under the hot dry sun and losing all appreciation for ancient architecture for the bloody temples and other crumbling structures offered no shade at all.

A code #389 meant something had been detected that didn’t add up to the lab techs upstairs. In this case it was a surge of energy of some sort where there was no apparent technology basis for it or human occupation. Nothing but sand Nick thought in disgust. The equipment SHIELD had given him wasn’t picking up anything either as he wandered around waving the large heavy device that was apparently supposed to pick up foreign energy. It hadn’t blipped once so Nick was debating whether it was a dud or the call was another dead end.

After three days of nothing Nick was going to pack it in and call for extraction. Extraction was scheduled for 0600 the next day so he would have to stay another night in the desert. He had enough supplies so it was not really a hard ship. Until this day Fury would never know what caused him to tense but he put it down to instinct. Like the books say the hair on the back of his neck prickled and goosebumps rose on his skin. The wind picked up suddenly and then the detector that he had left on out of duty rather then real expectation of finding anything started going nuts. Nick slowly palmed his weapon as his gaze darted around the horizon.

Then not 100 meters from his camp an awful sound came. Like breaks slammed on too hard in a truck. Like the world’s loudest vacuum cleaner. Like something being torn in half. 

Suddenly something appeared where the noise was. The only way to describe it was like a gap in the very fabric of the world. a tunnel or a tear in the air full of light. The edges seemed to ripple and pulse with green, white, gold and blue.

Nick knew protocol and leapt for his communicator as soon as the sounds had started, only to find it dead. The detector was also dead, looking fried. Frantically he tried to recall his training about threats of unknown origins. For one was stepping through that very portal.

It was humanoid in shape as far as he could tell. It seemed to glow with an otherworldly light as its whole body was shining white. Its eyes glowed gold and its hair? Whipped around its head in a dance of colours – gold, green, blue, pinks and purples. He watched the being from his cover while training his weapon on it. It seemed to take a quick survey of the terrain before turning around and with some complex gestures seemed to close the tear in some way. The portal thing swirled shut with a sound similar of a water going down the drain. Now all that was left was the silence of the desert and the wind.

Nick was sweating, wondering what his next step should be. Confrontation? Observation? If the…being had any kind of intelligence it would most likely find him as his camp was kind of obvious. He was still furiously debating his choices when he froze in shock as a voice echoed in his **head.**

_We know you are there, please come out. We mean no harm to you._

The voice had an almost dual quality as if two people spoke as one. Realising that hiding was obviously useless Fury slowly made his way down to the being, his gun on evident display. The beings glow seemed to dim as he came into view and slowly its visage settled into that of woman who’s ethnicity wouldn’t be strange in this country. She was clothed in a strange dress that seemed tailored for hot weather being white in color threaded with delicate gold.

“Agent Fury with SHIELD, please identify yourself."

“Do you mean our name?”

“For a start and what precisely you are and how you got here. More importantly WHY are you here?”

“There’s no need to be hostile Agent Fury. Like I said we mean no harm. As to who I am, I go by Ishtar these days. What I am well” she smirked “I’m afraid that’s my little secret. I’m not totally human as you can see.”

“No kidding”

“I got here through a dimensional portal of my own creation. As to why I am here, well I like to visit different worlds and dimensions.”

“How do we know that others aren’t going to come through said portal?”

“You saw it collapse yourself. Its only intended for one way travel and its been coded to my specific genetic signature. No armies are coming through here, Agent Fury.”

“And what is your reason for your visit?”

“What does any tourist want when they visit another destination? Sights, culture, worldly experience.”

“You expect me to believe you crossed dimensions to sight-seeing?”

The being smirked, “Well when you have power like mine travelling around the planet becomes a bit mundane especially when you’ve seen it so many times.”

Fury didn’t know what to say to that.

The being sighed. “Let’s be frank Agent Fury. You can’t keep me here, you couldn’t detain me even if your whole agency was here. So I’ll be straight, I mean no harm to this Earth, I'll even lend a hand if a situation becomes dire enough. I’ll be residing here for the foreseeable future, you will be my contact within SHIELD. I’ll find you if I need to talk to you”

The being turned and started to glow again.

“And if we need to contact you?”

A knowing smile graced the beings face “I’ll know” and flew off as bright as a shooting star. 


	2. Did you lose an Infinity Stone?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fury pays a visit to ah 'recruit' another powerful being  
> and gets scolded

Fury found her in a lab of course. He was under no illusions that he had been _allowed_ to find it, like on the few previous occasions when he had sought the illusive being out, he had just suddenly known where to go. If that was not something to be wary about he didn't know what was.

It looked like a mish-mash of Stark’s workshop, one of the room’s from a Hayao Miyazaki’s film, witch’s brewing station and finally what he always imagined Leonardo Da Vinci’s studio to look like; sketches and half finished inventions and anatomy drawings everywhere. It was like walking into another dimension really, as there was certainly something fantastical and other worldly about it. Which was appropriate as the being who it belonged to was not of this world. He still hadn’t pegged what _exactly_ she was but he had eliminated several things. Not that they had much to work from he thought darkly. 

He waited while she hummed over some experiment, waiting for her to finish and turn her attention to him. They had played this game before and he refused to be baited, he knew he had been allowed to find her, that she knew he was here, probably even knew _why_ he was here if he was to make a leap. She finally tossed her lab coat onto a hook, and sent Fury a smirk which still made him feel like rabbit in the cross-hairs of a wolf. She prowled over to the couch and sprawled into it. Finally Nicholas J Fury had the full attention of Code name:Ishtar. SHIELD Threat level high 10+. _Do not engage at any cost._

“So Nick, to what do I owe this dubious pleasure?”

Fury felt an inward shudder at the use of his first name. “What do you know about this?” Handing the dossier on the Tesseract.

Taking the dossier, Ishtar tutted as she sped read it. “Naughty naughty. Playing with things beyond your comprehension again are we? How you got your hands on an Infinity Stone I’d be _fascinated_ to know.”

“So you know what it is”

“Of course Nicky. Why? Did you lose it?” she smirked with a gleam in her eye

“It was stolen to be more precise”

She snorted “Well duh. One can only hold onto a Stone for so long before another seeks it. So let me guess you want your big glowing cube of intergalactic power back?”

“In a nutshell”

“I bet your little group of Nazis are all in a tizzy 'cause someone else has the power to blow you to kingdom come before you can do the same.”

Fury made a noise of protest at being called Nazis. “We were using it to try and solve the world’s energy crisis. A permanent solution to a finite problem.”

Ishtar sent him a pitying look “Uhuh a secret shadow organisation seizes a source of unlimited power and the only thing they decide to do is huddle down with the Greens and become Captain Planet and save the world from carbon emissions?” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll tell you what Nicky. If you guys haven’t made a single weapon with the glowy cube of alien power, I’ll answer everything you’ve ever wanted to know about me.”

Fury’s mouth thinned as he was rendered mute, wanting to glare her down but not really sure of the consequences of that action. She was smiling at him, daring him to lie. He didn’t know how she knew but then again she always did. There was a distinct beat of silence, before she answered it herself. “I thought so. So let’s cut the bullshit.” With an arched look she continued, “You want this thing back because its scares the jinkies out of you guys because I bet you are perfectly aware of what it could do in the wrong hands, well _wronger_ hands. And although it would be vastly entertaining to watch you both destroy each other…” she faded out with a glazed look as if actually briefly contemplating it then shrugging, “I am sort of attached to this Earth for the time being. Relocation is a bitch.”

Fury went cold at how cavalier she spoke about the earth and war and how many fucks she obviously did not give if they all blew themselves up. It was times like these he was reminded how not of this world she was, if she was ever. How she could simply say adios to this world and move on to another, no matter the carnage it was in or what she may have caused. It made a man break out in chills and could keep you up at night if you thought too hard on it, Nick had personal experience. The best they could do was tread carefully around this...woman. It only reinforced his guess that if she had been human once upon a time, it had been eons ago, as she was too apathetic about people in general. Hell even Thor had expressed more concern regarding ‘Midgardians’ according to Coulson. “So you’ll help us?”

“I guess I am but like always Nicky I do it my way, on my terms. Capesh?”

“Understood. This is who has taken the cube.” Handing over the footage on Loki “He has also…compelled several of our own to work with him. We were hoping you may be able to offer some expertise on that as magic is not something we have had a lot of encounters with.”

Ishtar merely hmmmed as she mused over the information. “Mind magic is tricky and unwieldy.” It wasn’t a refusal so Fury took it as a possibility she would look into it. She frowned at the blurred image of Loki, “The Asgardian?” Fury nodded but she wasn’t really paying attention as she muttered “Well not _really_ but…” He then handed the packet on the Avengers, “These are also the other individuals we are bringing into play. We have reason to believe that Loki may be planning something of a larger scale”

Ishtar sent him a look with a speculative gleam in her eyes. “Ah yes your pet project. What a spectacular group of misfits have you gathered for this so-called team Nick.” It wasn’t a question but a statement as she flicked through the reports on the various members.

“Powerful misfits” he both stated and corrected her in a form protest.

She chuckled, “Compared to the baseline human, yes they are. But if they will be the team you are hoping for Nick? That might be expecting a bit much. I know from experience real teams take time, effort, constant battle experience and more”

“They will step up when the world needs them too.”

Ishtar sent him an infuriatingly knowing look, “I don’t doubt they will. But you don’t want them for just one battle do you? I think you want them to be more than that. However if this how you’re recruiting them then they won’t be a team.” Her gaze flickered over the photos, “They will just be powerful misfits who happen to fight together.”

Fury didn’t know what to say, he had begged, borrowed and stole for the Avengers Initiative to be taken seriously. He had gently steered the key players into considering it an option, both the WSC, SHIELD and the chosen members themselves. Now this _being_ says it was all for nothing, that it wasn’t a sustainable idea? Pissed, Fury didn’t dignify it with an answer. Results would prove her wrong better than anything.

“Considering your capabilities can you find Loki now?”

She shook her head, “No, the infinity stone and whatever that spear weapon is, will provided him very good interference. Not to mention he is an Asgardian well versed in the arts of magic and trickery. I doubt we will find him until he wants to be found unfortunately.”

“Worth a shot. Very well, I was wondering if you would accompany Agent Romanoff to acquire Banner. Containing the Hulk, if that becomes an issue, is well within your limitations is it not?”

Ishtar pierced him with a look, one that made his heart freeze. Her sing-song voice didn’t do anything to melt that either, “Nicky, Nicky, Nicky. Now don’t try to manipulate me with rhetoricals. I’m not giving clues away either. Like I said _my_ way” she smiled full of teeth. “But sure. I’ll escort the spider. We wouldn’t want her to get squished accidentally now would we?”

Fury was not gracing that with an answer. No siree.

“SHIELD appreciates your help. Calcutta 2100 hours local time.” He shot that out as he stalked to the exit, trying not to feel like a rabbit bolting for its hutch as the being’s haunting laugh echoed behind him.

* * *

Ishtar watched Nick Fury leave (run away snicker) with humour dancing through her as she manipulated the wards to close off after he left and dissolve the portal she had opened up just for him.

She perused the info packets which weren’t really that much use to her as she had all this info and more. She was curious and slightly disappointed at the deliberate slant the info had been presented. She sighed good old Nick just couldn’t step away from his manipulative spy traits long enough to do this team justice.

Her other half rose up to also read the packets. _You were right dear, with these ‘impressions’ they won’t be a team. Fury has ah what is the modern idiom…_

Ishtar smiled knowing her other half would find it in the depth of the internet as barely a second passed before - _oh yes shot himself in the foot. What an adequate saying._

_**Its true and although I would like to leave it and then just swing by and say I told you so when the team simply collapses or explodes in Nick’s face, we are unfortunately dealing with something a bit more volatile then just Nick’s dream team.** _

_Yes the infinity stones are a problem. I wonder how the space stone got here even._

**_We haven’t really been keeping too closer tabs on Fury and his Reich but from what I’m seeing is its been in SHIELD's hands for 30 years or so since Howard Stark found it. Perhaps a deeper look is needed?_ **

_I shall take a pass through and see what has transpired. I am concerned about the sceptre. I know you are too. the design…is not Asgardian or Jotuun but definitely alien._

**_Yes I noticed. Didn’t want to look too interested due to Dread Pirate Morpheus. You’re the alien expert any guesses?_ **

_I’ll have to examine it closer to know what it is._

**_Well it apparently mind whammies people and St Nick wants us to unwhammy them so no doubt we will if we manage to seize it._ **

_Your utter abuse of the English language is a travesty as usual but as always you speak the truth._

**_Calcutta here we come_ **

_Do we have time for a detour?_

**_My gods we aren’t going sightseeing._ **


	3. Origin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Ishtar came to be

Ishtar remembered the time she went from human to something more. As did her counterpart, her other half. It wasn’t something one forgot.

People always speak about evolution as if it were a straight linear line or maybe a straight diagonal one like Darwin portrays. As if there was a slow but seamless transition from apes to Neanderthals to homo-sapiens. And as she aged and travelled the discovery of the X-gene was apparently the next stage (in her world at least). People don’t realise that due to evolution happening over millions of millions years there had to be kinks to be worked out. There had to be wrinkles to smooth over in this delicate process of evolving DNA. It only seems smooth and seamless as when we are at the end stage. But what if you were one of those kinks. What if you were a mistake of evolution before it righted itself again?

Ishtar had been one of those hiccups in evolution's grand scheme to evolve the human body. She had been born as Shaya on an Earth many millenniums ago in what is now known as Egypt, her family were not well off but did alright for themselves with her mother being a gifted healer and her father a talented fighter in the Pharoh's army. Ishtar had known she was different but not by how much. She had always felt something trembling under her skin, waiting, wanting to be unleashed. She didn’t know what to do about it. Until in a fit of rage she flooded the Nile. Not that anyone knew she had but she knew. It only got worse. She brought stars raining down from the sky. She summoned frogs and locusts. Yeah random. The Egyptians thought it was the gods. The Hebrews thought it was their god. Ishtar was miserable because if only the gods hadn’t punished her so by making her the instrument of their destruction. It all drew to a close when she was attacked by a man who had been pursuing her hand. Tired of her refusals he and his cronies decided to make her say yes. She lashed out with the power inside her, fearful and angry. She killed not just the men who were out to get her but all those that deserved it, all those that took power away from others, she killed the murderers, the rapists, the slavers, the torturers. Come morning there was hardly anyone left in the Pharoh's keep.

She wanted to die, she felt dirty, she felt sick, she felt like a monster. She couldn’t control it, nor contain the power. She fled the city into the dessert hoping to succumb to the heat and barren land.

She was followed by the man’s brother and friends who knew he had gone to see her and never returned. Unlike his brother he wasn’t an evil man merely blinded to his brother’s faults. He demanded to know where his brother was.

Fear over took her as she begged them to leave her be. Power crackling around her in her desperation. Slurs were thrown at her as they scurried clear. Witch. Cursed. Demon. Devil.

It happened in an instant. The power consumed her like an inferno, sending a pulse of power out. She blazed like the sun on the hottest Egytian day, the power burning and tearing her apart atom by atom. The earth beneath her dented into a crater unable withstand the sheer power, the sky twisted into a circular like pattern bending to its whims. The power didn’t calm nor did abate it merely climbed and climbed. She would’ve wept if she could. She watched helplessly as the pulses and lashes of power she let of sheered a mass of land right off. She didn’t know it as she watched in horror as her power _pushed_ a land mass out of its way and played with the water and lava beneath then. she didn’t know it then but she had singlehandedly created what would someday be known as Madgascar. She felt despair well up in her as she felt her power reach out and touch the very centre of the Earth and simultaneously also toy with the orbit of the moon, push and pull it like the children did with the balls in the street. She would’ve laughed if it wasn’t morbidly devastating. She was going to destroy the world and there was nothing she could do about it. It was too much.

It happened in the blink of an eye. It came careening down out of the hemisphere and crashed right next to her. At the time she thought it was the gods coming to grant her punishment or maybe salvation. But now, in hindsight, she can recognise the sleek lines of a spacecraft.

This is where her counterpart’s story interceded with hers. Rena, for her real name was to hard for her too pronounce, is an Argyillian. An advanced race of alien’s that do not have an skeleton or body. They are soulites. Made up of mind and soul only, they have of course developed bodies to inhabit for travel. Argylllians are a purely scholarly race, they had evolved beyond war and politics and now only pursue knowledge. Not to say they are not well defended, they are advanced and have many weapons and means of war. They just no longer believe in it. Even when they engaged in it, it was with distaste. The means to eliminate war was probably easier in Argyllian society as they do not experience emotions as many other races do. They are more geared to logic. Several eons ago after the decision was made, the Argyllians withdrew from the galaxy to pursue knowledge and answers. It was then raised after a millennia by an Argyllian who specialised in other races that they only true way to gain knowledge was via experience. It was debated viciously but in the end agreed upon that those that wished it could assimilate themselves into other cultures to learn only. They already had a way to do that without disturbing the current cultural environment. During the development of a skeletal bodies a way to inhabit a body of another with permission and a special scientific process was also developed. 

Rena had embarked to Earth after living with several other planets. She had decided to stay on Earth for quite awhile as Earth was only it its primitive stages of development and she wished to see how this species would differ to others she had researched. Only something went wrong on her descent, thanks but no thanks to Shaya’s power’s playing with the Moon like a yo-yo, caused her ship’s sensors to go hay wire. The change in gravity surrounding the planet stirred up the usually slow moving rock belt and sent an asteroid careening into her ship. Usually this would not be cause for too much concern as Argyllians wrote the book on over prepared.

However it hit the area that carried her transitional body. As a soulite most atmospheres weren’t friendly to Argyllians and thus they needed that body. The only thing left was a space suit with limited supply left and Rena was unable to calibrate it to the current atmosphere due to the ships damage. But that was all she had.

Shaya stared as out of the strange contraption came something equally strange but unfortunately no god. 

She almost let out a sob. The strange thing stumbled out of the smoking thing and fell in front of her. It looked at her with a face made of starlight. She let out a gasp of wonder and alarm.

The being looked like it was pain. It looked, well, it looked like her. It knew the end was coming but it couldn’t do anything about it. Shaya wished she could help but she currently wasn’t in any position. In fact she had been hoping they would help her.

The being held out a hand. She didn’t understand what ever it was saying but somehow she _knew_ anyway because it was what was on loop in her mind.

_Help me please._

Not knowing what compelled her to this day. Even knowing she would have likely killed them both. Maybe even if it was for brief moment she thought that they could help each other just by giving them both comfort in this moment. She reached out and took the beings hand. 

Her powers slowly burnt away the suit and she was holding the finest silk she had ever had the courtesy to touch. Then pain so much pain. Her powers didn’t like this and rose up in a fury of gold and white light. The thing she was touching obviously didn't like it either and burned bright blue and white. It all went dark as it hit a crescendo.

* * *

And that’s how her and Rena become permanent soulmates. Not in the traditional sense but in the 'let’s share a body' sense. It kind of gave a whole new meaning to fate and destiny. Because what if either one of them hadn't been there? Would the planet not exist anymore? A real head scratcher.

Although usually the Argyllians soul transfer were not permanent. Without the proper process and Rena’s own soulite so unstable it had become a permanent thing. The reason for the proper process was because usually a body isn’t supposed to have two souls, especially something like Argyllians soulites. It usually burns the body up. Another thing to thank fate for, if it had been anyone but Shaya that she had joined with she probably would’ve burnt them up, killing them both but with Shaya’s insane power levels it supported the weight of her soulite. The effort to do so kept Shaya's power level within controllable limits for her own body. 

Despite the amazing circumstances that allowed them both to keep living it took several centuries for both Rena and Ishtar to reach a consensus and also figure out how to live together. Not to mention how powerful they were. Argyllians did have their own abilities and due to their scientific community some enhancements had been made as well. Argyllians had telepathy and telekinetic abilities being soulites this was how they communicated and engaged with the environment

Shaya’s actual mutant power wasn’t sheer strength as they discovered over the centuries. That was the accident of evolution. Her actual power was empathy, it allowed her to essential mimic any mutant ability she came in to contact with. Due to her sheer amount of power Ishtar didn’t lose the abilities after she lost physical touch in fact she keep them and could even grow them beyond the original's own. Rena speculated the fact her powers overloaded was both due to her power levels and also that she hadn’t been able to exercise her main power as there weren’t enough mutants on the ground during that time. Or ones that had a high enough power level to give her a significant enough drain. She had unknowingly copied her parents powers but with them both being so minor it hadn’t worked.

Together Rena and Shaya’s powers were practically limitless. And together they were Ishtar. It wasn’t a surprise that throughout history she had been a queen, a conquerer, a priestess, a sorcerer, a goddess. And that was before they had discovered the dimensional and world travel.

Yes dear old Nick was right to be wary of her. 

But maybe its’ living with an Argyllian who are ruled by logic and have no lust for bigger things other than knowledge. Maybe its living for millennias in not just their original universe but other multiverses that one can see that power is its own curse.

Shaya and Rena had kept their meddling to a minimum but every now and then they try to tweak things. For they have seen a variant of each universe at least once before where they didn’t do anything and both of them can’t help themselves. They may not be fully human or Argyllian anymore but both species suffer from curiosity that’s worse then a cats so sue them.


	4. A Spider and a Hulk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ishtar accompanies the Black Widow to recruit the Hulk.   
> Natasha is not so sure she likes her escort

_Overview: Senior Agent Romanoff, Natasha (Codename Black Widow) to recruit Banner, Bruce (Codename: Hulk) for operation Avengers Initiative_

_Mission: Bring in the target using appeals to scientific knowledge on Gamma Radiation, avoid mentions of alter ego. Only use force as an absolute last resort. _

_Last minute addition added to file: Black Widow and STRIKE team to be met by escort_ _Codename Ishtar_ _in Calcutta 2100._

_*Natasha*_

When Fury called to let her know she would have back-up during her mission to acquire Banner she was understandably confused. She had back-up, a small effective unit of SHIELD agents with some handy toys created for just this purpose. Still she was a bit apprehensive, she had seen the footage of Harlem and even though this unit had trained this move, it felt like throwing toy soldiers at a raging inferno.

She was also curious, who was this person that they alone would be effective against the Hulk? Maybe it wasn’t even the Hulk, she mused, maybe it was someone Banner knew. Emotional blackmail was something she was used to and she had read about a woman Banner had dated before his Green days.

She landed the quinjet and ordered the men to set up perimeter around a safehouse that was quite isolated from the city, one of the main reasons why she had chosen it. Opening the bay doors she was greeted by a woman standing there in dark gold sari, a floating linen top in off white and a shawl over her shoulders that seemed to be a living flame. Her skin was tan but not overly dark, with almond eyes that tilted at the corners, her hair was a honey color and her eyes were a very light brown, almost gold like. Well versed in placing a person’s ethnicity Natasha guessed probably Egyptian or Middle eastern. She was quite striking overall but not someone she would’ve expected to be sent as back up on this type of mission. However Natasha knew she lived in a world where the unexpected killed you. The pretty flower could very well be hiding the poisonous spider in its delicate petals.

“Agent Romanoff, Fury asked me to…accompany you I guess”

Natasha almost blinked at the strange phrasing. It implied that Fury had deferred to her because Fury didn’t ask anything.

“And you are…”

The woman sent her a smile, and in that moment the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. The primal instincts that had kept her alive as the Black Widow uncurled and sat up in alarm. This was not someone to trifle with. Who, no _what_ , had Fury sent her?!

“Fury calls me Ishtar”

“So that isn’t your name?”

The woman’s gaze sharpened, “Like you Natalia, I have had many names, some flattering, some not and some better forgotten.” Deeming the subject closed, Ishtar then inquired, “So how to capture our fish?”

_*Ishtar*_

Banner sighs with when Natasha’s little con artist’s flies the coop. “Should’ve got paid upfront Banner” he mutters.

He suddenly realises he’s not alone in the house when Natasha steps out. Ishtar rolls her eyes.

 _For a spy she can be so dramatic_. _I wonder if she gets it from Fury, Creator knew he's a theatrical little shit with that coat._

**_He certainly missed his calling. Better make our presence known, wouldn’t want to startle this one._ **

Agreeing silently with her counterpart she stepped out to join in on the fun and leaned casually on the window sill.

“For someone avoiding stress you picked a hell of a place to settle” Natasha muses.

**_Rena sighed. I thought she was trained at interrogation. That was as blunt as a tact._ **

Ishtar almost sighed out loud too.

_Yeah I know. I mean wow way to put the man at ease. Immediately bring up his city destroying alter ego and how he prevents doing that._

“Avoiding stress isn’t the secret,” Banner mutters clearly uncomfortable concerning the topic.

**_Well he is not wrong._ **

Ishtar almost nodded totally feeling him there, it wasn’t and they would know. She also didn’t like Natasha’s handling of this, it was all very heavy-handed manoeuvring. Maybe she should send an _I told you_ so to Nick via email with a video of this. Because if anything this was just making Banner feel more like a outsider, like a hunted animal. Not a valuable team member.

**_I am recording it even if we montage it later to emphasis Mr Fury’s greatest mistakes._ **

_With background music too_

**_But of course. I think I like Stark’s nickname and will scour for some boy band music._ **

_I’ll pop the mixtape of mistakes on the Avengers exit evaluation maybe. Yeah. Hell I’ll make one just to piss Nicky off. Muahaha._ Oh no almost missed the rest, better tune back it.

“So what is it? Yoga?” Natasha quipped. Ishtar almost snarked back, so what if it is? Everyone’s self management routines were different so don’t diss Yoga it had gotten her through some tough decades. 

**_Indeed. That time we spent in India in Universe 62 was invaluable._ **

Banner also didn’t bother gracing that with an answer. He glanced surreptitiously out the window. “You brought me to the edge of the city, smart. I uh, …presume the whole place is surrounded?”

Natasha shook her head “Just you and me and ….my friend”

Ishtar almost gave her dead pan stare for the lie. Especially when it was her that had insisted on the STRIKE team staying in place. Ishtar had asked them to stand down but Natasha had given her a disconcerted look and asked them to stay in place. She’d rolled her eyes, not like she cares.

**_Friends pfft Not in this universe you second-rate spy. We have standards._ **

Her counterpart's snark almost making her snort.

Banner glanced at her with a start, probably having forgotten she was there until the reminder. He seemed to pause a bit to stare at her, before resuming his former indignation. Interesting. She wondered if he had felt something. The Hulk was really a personification of his inner primal instincts, so it wouldn’t surprise her if he felt something on visceral level.

**_Perhaps. I wouldn’t put it past him. Do you think…_ **

_I am not asking the man for samples Rena. For Ra’s sake. Don’t be as bad as Romanoff._

“And your actress buddy, is she a spy too? do they start that young?” Banner ranted a little frustrated

“I did”

“Who are you?” He asked them suspiciously

“Natasha Romanoff”

He turned a bit more curiously to her. She smiled, “Ishtar”

“Are you here to kill me Miss Romanoff and Miss…Ishtar? Because that’s not gonna work out for everyone” he informs that with not little amount of defeatism in his voice.

“No. No. No of course not. I’m here on behalf of SHIELD,” Natasha reassured him though what was reassuring about SHIELD Ishtar would love to know. She couldn’t help but interject as no way was be lumped with those fascists. “And I’m here because I want to be not for SHIELD. And because it was funny to make Nicky ask me really nicely”

**_And because you are a fascinating specimen Dr Banner and Mr Hulk._ **

_I don’t think that would win us points here Rena so cool those mad scienctist jets._

If looks could kill then she would be dead as Natasha’s glare was pretty deadly. Luckily Banner wasn’t paying that much attention to the conversation or the going ons between his two visitors.

“SHIELD. How’d they find me?”

“We’ve never lost you, doctor. We kept our distance, even kept a few interested parties off your track.”

Ah well that one was good Ishtar had to admit. She had read about the near obsessive man hunt a General Ross had out for Banner. It had gone surprisingly quiet over the last year to 18 months. If SHIELD had been muddying his trail then no wonder. This would definitely win brownie points with the doctor.

**_Hmm yes if the prior videos of him are to be believe both incidents at the University and Harlem were instigated by General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross._ **

_Thunderbolt?!_

**_Unfortunately_ ** **_. Zeus would be disgusted no?_ **

_Too True._

“Why?” Banner asked instantly suspicious again.

Good question Ishtar mused, he’d been on the run for months and they hadn’t done anything for the man really. So yes why now? It was incredibly obvious though

**_Yes so to inspire gratefulness when they need it most._ **

“Fury seems to trust you. But now I need you to come in” Natasha stated. Ishtar almost snorted. Fury trusted precious few individuals but certainly not an unpredictable variable like Banner. Plus Natasha's tone spoke volumes, the doubt simply echoed through her words.

“What if I say no?” Bruce murmured half to himself and to Natasha

“I’ll persuade you” she replied with a smirk that Ishtar wanted to smack her for.

“What if the…Other guy says no?”

“You’ve been more than year without an incident. I don’t think you want to break that streak”

“Well I don’t always get what I want” he rebutted petantly 

Ishtar could practically see Natasha switching tacts. “Doctor, we’re facing a potential global catastrophe”

“Well those I actively try to avoid”

**_As do we all Doctor, as do we all._ **

Natasha presented her phone with a photo from the dossier of the stolen infinity stone. “This is the Tessaract. It has the potential energy to wipe out the planet.”

Banner takes a closer look at glowing blue cube. “What does Fury want me to do? Swallow it?”

_Is it terrible that I really want to know what would happen?_

**_The Hulk was created from gamma radiation which the Infinity Stones radiate. It would be curious to see if he would simply absorb it, increase his power or make him sick? Or even kill him?_ **

_He would probably be horrified if we actually asked. Sigh_

**_Unfortunately_ ** _**that seems to be true. He is quite in denial of his other half, let alone in the mind frame to answer hypotheticals on him. As a scientist I must sigh and say what a waste. As your counterpart I can heartily understand though.** _

“Well he wants you to find it. It’s been taken. It emits a gamma signature that’s too low for us to trace. There is no one that knows gamma radiation like you do. If there was, that’s where I’d be.”

Ishtar felt like doing the bullshit cough because that comment totally did not take. Rena was not that tactful.

**_Bullshit_ **

Banner did not buy it either. “So Fury’s not after the monster?”

“Not that he’s told me”

“And he tells you everything…”

“Talk to Fury, he needs you on this.”

“He needs me in a cage?”

“No one’s going to put – ”

“STOP LYING TO ME!”

Natasha’s gun was out from under the table before one could blink and aimed at Banner. Ishtar didn’t move at all. Merely sent banner a raised brow when he blinked at her unsurprised response. Banner then frowned in confusion when she slapped at Natasha to put the gun down. “Aren’t you scared…?”

Ishtar smiled at Banner “Doctor Banner did you believe you were alone when it came to inner demons? Did you believe you were alone when you thought yourself a monster? Did you think you were alone in your power to create chaos and destruction?”

“So no I do not fear you Doctor Banner because for many years I was you.”

**_Only we levelled worlds and universes not mere towns so in a way you are infinitely luckier Doctor._ **

There was a sort of terrified sort of hope on Banner’s face, “Like me?”

Ishtar locked eyes with Banner and allowed it to happen. Her irises glowed to a inhuman gold and her whites glowed with power, her hair seemed to lift and flow with its own mind, the colour also lightening slightly. It was only brief second, barely a glimpse of their true power but she saw that Banner understood. The Hulk it seemed understood too as there was a distinct green tinge to banner’s eyes which were then cautiously lowered. An alpha acknowledging a stronger alpha.

**_I do believe we won’t have to worry if the Hulk does show himself. Should I…?_ **

_Not now. Humans are touchy about their minds. And Banner’s still mostly in control. If Hulk appears then we’ll see about telepathy._

They both come back to themselves, Banner looking a bit ruffled but pleasantly surprised and Ishtar, used to it, as they smile at each other.

Natasha however looked intensely disturbed and can’t call in extraction fast enough now that she has a measure of her…escort.


	5. Helicarrier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce, Steve, Natasha and Ishtar all board the SHIELD helicarrier

Natasha touches down on a what appears to be an impressive battleship in the middle of the ocean with two runways and a massive hangar. Bruce, which he had insisted on being called, and her both step out onto the ship’s deck. Bruce seemed to walk with a bit more pep, maybe because he knew that we could take the Hulk. Or maybe because in the few hours from Calcutta he had found a kindred spirit. Not just the ‘I destroy everything, I'm a monster’ group but the 'I am so smart but I am deprived of intellectual conversation' group. Being on our own a lot we are definitely solidly in that latter group.

**_Maybe we shouldn’t ah hate on Mr Fury so much if we are able to gain such intelligent conversations through him._ **

We both watched as Natasha greeted another agent (Coulson from the files we had…peeked into) and a very built blonde man. Ah yes the Captain. Having lived for many eons we kind of felt some sympathy for the man, we knew what it was like to feel time displacement. 

Coulson peeled away probably to go and give homage to the space pirate Nicky. Natasha and Rogers approached. Rogers obviously recognised Banner from Nick’s handy little pre-readings.

“Dr Banner,” holding a hand out to shake

“Oh yeah hi, they said you would be here” accepting it and shaking it.

Rogers glanced over, “Ma'am, Captain Rogers.” With another firm handshake.

“Pleasure. Call me Ishtar, Captain.”

“Are you here to assist Doctor Banner with finding the cube?”

“Well I will no doubt be picking Doctor Banner’s brain, but no that is not my primary reason here.”

“Really? I didn’t see your name in the dossier.” Suspicion and curiosity underlined Roger's tone.

Ishtar laughed, “Fury wishes he could keep my info in a nice neat little package. I just don’t let him”

The Captain looked adorably caught between bemused and disapproving. Bruce looked like he wanted to ask if she could do the same for him. Which she could but it would be quite hard.

Natasha appears suddenly, “Everyone, you might want to head inside in a minute. It’s going to get a bit hard to breath.” The whole ship is shaking as she informs them rather smugly at that.

Rogers glances around wonderingly, “Is this a submarine?”

Ishtar can feel the tension in Bruce despite his dismissive sarcasm “Really? they want me in a submerged pressurised metal container?” Curious they all make their way over to the side of the ship.

The fans mounted on the side are spinning rapidly and facing down. It slowly pushed the large carrier into the air. Rogers is staring on in awe. Bruce simply shakes his head, “oh no this is much worse”

Natasha smiling with what can only described as corporate pride. It might be petty but Ishtar feels the need to zing her for what she did to Bruce. “You know,” staring at the propeller “I can see at least 18 patent designs in that thing. 10 of which are Stark industries. Do these people know you are ripping their designs off with no payment? Does Stark know? I bet not. I bet Nicky says its all for the Greater Good right. Its impressive ship alright, but it's not even yours”

**_They really are shameless are they not? I think I’m going to enjoy ripping apart their little regime._ **

_You and me both babe._

Natasha sent a scathing look as they all stepped inside.


End file.
